Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-26
DAILY HERALD.
ALeop RniIroad Line.

a6 to to the route OF the Southern IA
cific, there is much reason to believe
that the road will be extended from
Cotton in bend around town to Ninth
street, and thence directly to High
lands. From Highlands the line will
be prolonged across the river and form
junction with the Lugonia branch OF
the Southern Pacific at or near Lugo-
MIA. Our authority for this is a reli-
able one. From the same source we
learn that the projected parallel road
has been shelved for the present, but
that it will be built inside OF two years
built when the. California Central
has developed the foothill belt, We
suppose; development which is
even now making rapid headway.
The Southern Pacific is to come into
San Bernardino with the friendliest
intentions, if we are to believe its
spokesman, which we certainly do,
for it will be sound business policy on
the part of that corporation to come
here with very long olive branch
cordially extended. The Southern
Pacific is entering the field of fierce
competition in earnest. The Atchison
will have to do all it knows
to maintain what it has already
won; indeed will be compelled to
struggle desperately to hold its
vantage ground. That the Southern
Pacific will carry on the war of COM
petition along the whole line from San
Diego to Los Angeles, every movement
they are making indicates. In San
Bernardino they have to fight more
desperately than at any other point,
for it is as yet strongly entrenched
camp of the enemy. Here is the CEN
ter of the whole California Central
system in California Here is the
town supposed to be warmest in its
attachment to the Atchison system.
This is the town which, of all others
in California. has the most rea-
son for entertaining a rooted
antipathy against the Southern
Pacific, for had that company
treated us with fairness in the days
when it was supreme in the land, San
Bernardino would to-day have a popu-
lation of O,000 people. Strategically,
this city is therefore the key-point for
the Southern Pacific of the railroad
situation in Southern California. If
the Southern Pacific can come to San
Bernardino and conciliate the people
50 as to OBTAIN a good business, it will
have gained a great moral victory as
we'll as a strong natural advantage.
To achieve this, it is of course neces-
sary for the old company to make San
Bernardino their great central station
- kIo Co. Dornor1sv0 xyo1lox, onI
this we are assured they will do. By
building the San Bernardino and
Highlands line as projected, the
Southern Pacific will run a loop road
around the productive heart of the
San Bernardino valley; will tap San
Bernardino city and the whole central
basin, the rich foot-hill belt to the
north and east of town, the whole
Highlands and Warm Creek sections
and Lugonia and Redlands as we'll.
This is true railroad strategy, real
railroad enterprise and real courage
Ous policy. San Bernardino can
stand this movement of the Southern
Pacific with profound equanimity.
The inevitable result must be to still
further center the railroad business of
the valley as the commercial
center of the county, San Ber-
nardino. In a word, the effect
will be to make San Bernardino the
railroad center of the South, par en-
inence. The fear expressed that the
Southern Pacific will attempt to use
San Bernardino as feeder for Cotton
is simply preposterous. To obtain
San Bernardino business the Southern
Pacific will be compelled by the ext
gency of self-interest to make this
city their great central entrepot in this
county. They must do it-not through
favor to San Bernardino, but through
love for themselves. They must
do it, because business reasons will
make them do it. They must do it,
because San Bernardino is the point
Of confluence for the whole business
of the San Bernardino valley. They
must do it, for the reason that were
they to refuse, they would not get
business enough in San Bernardino to
load one freight car week. And
their agents authorized to represent
them n axe no secret of the intention
of the Southern Pacific Company to
make San Bernardino their general
headquarters for the whole county. OF
course, our Cotton friends cannot be
expected to admit this. They will
deny it to the last, Just as they
protested up to the last moment Of
the official declaration that the
depots, shops, foundries and head
quarters Of the Atchison system were
to be located in Cotton, and not in
San Bernardino. They knew better
then, many of them, and they know
better now most of them, especially
when they happen to glance at the
microscopic depot recently built in
Cotton, which is certainly not adapted
to the transaction OF San Bernardino
Valley business. No; Cotton will re-
main an important station on the
through line, but San Bernardino is to
be the central entrepot of the South
ern Pacific for the whole valley.
-(Courier.